Combination pants and hose garment



Jan. 6, 1970 J. JANHSEN COMBINATION PANTS AND HOSE GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1'7, 1967 In ventor:

Jncoaus Jmnselv Jan. 6, 197 0 J. JANHSEN 3,487,473

COMBINATION PANTS AND HOSE GARMENT filed May 17, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheei a In yell/0r Jizco $0. Iznfisen,

Mai Aday.

United States Patent 3,487,473 COMBINATION PANTS AND HOSE GARMENT Jacobus Janhsen, Kurweg 192, Pivitsheide, Germany Filed May 17, 1967, Ser. No. 639,109 Claims priority, application Germany, May 23, 1966, 1,610,534 Int. Cl. A41b 11/00, 9/04, 9/08 US. Cl. 2-240 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Combinations of pants with hosiery hitherto have been manufactured either in fiat hosiery knitting machines or on circular knitting looms. In either case, they must be sewn together. This has the disadvantage of additional work and labor costs. Furthermore, seams frequently are strong enough to impart pressure on the wearer. This makes itself felt particularly when the wearer sits down.

Hosiery to be worn without garters are known, however, these suffer from the drawback that the upper edge encloses the thigh rather tightly in order to prevent slippage of the hose. If the upper edge is somewhat loose, the wearer frequently is unsure of proper fit of the hose and fears that the same may slide down. Combinations of hosiery with pants therefore have come into increased use, often referred to as pantyhose. Therein, the leg part consists of fine mesh and the pants part of a correspondingly reinforced weave. The advantage resides in the fact that garter means are avoided. Also, the leg parts of pantyhose attains a better fit than ordinary hosiery fastened by means of garters, garter belts, or built-in means, such as elastic.

It is the object of the invention to devise a combination hose and pants garment, hereinafter referred to as pantyhose which can readily be manufactured on a circular power knitting loom and, hence, is simpler to manufacture and less expensive than the old style, and which avoids the disadvantages named above.

This is accomplished by forming the garment in such a manner that it consists of two circular-knit elastically yielding hoses with the customary foot part and with a hip engaging portion. These hoses are of such length to have the upper end of the hip engaging portion come to rest in the area of the wearers hips when sufliciently stretched. At the front and rear center of the hip engaging portion, cooperating connecting means are provided whereby the two dual edges can be combined with each other. Thus, the two hoses are linked into a two-part pantyhose, and faultless fit is assured.

The connecting means may be clips or similar clamping means; button holes wherein a dual button is inserted; snaps; hooks and eyes; or similar means which serve the same purpose, known per se.

In a preferred embodiment, the hip engaging portion of the hose extends from the hip to approximately the crotch so as to form the pants part of the garment. It also is possible to affix decorative material to the lower part of the edge, such as lace or rufiles, thereby attaining an even more discernible demarcation of the pants parts from the leg portions. Furthermore, the individual hose portions may be constructed so that the leg portion r 3,487,473 c Patented Jan. 6, 1970 proper can be detached, below the hip engaging portion, without difliculties so that one of these can still be used, together with a replacement, if the other has been damaged by holes, runs, or the like. Detachment and re-attachment can be carried out, e.g., in like manner as the connection of the two hip engaging portions, described above.

The pantyhose according to the invention has the following advantages: the leg parts are more elastic and, hence, more resistant and less sensitive to tension caused by stretching than commonly is the case. Garters or garter belts are not required because the garment is pantsshaped. Good and faultless fit of the pantyhose is assured. The two components constituting the pantyhose can be manufactured in a simple and inexpensive manner. They can be interchanged so that one component remains usable when the other is damaged.

Whereas the garment according to the invention primarily is intended for use by ladies, its use by men is not precluded and could serve, e.g., for stage, sports, or other purposes.

The invention now will be further explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these are given merely by way of illustration, and not of limitation, and that it is intended to cover all modifications of the invention which do not depart from the spirit and the scope thereof as hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of hose applied to a pair of legs prior to its connection into a pantyhose;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the hose on legs after their connection within the area of the hip engaging portions;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the pantyhose in its entirety;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a dual button serving to connect the hip engaging portions;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation showing a decoration applied to the lower end of the hip engaging portions;

'FIG. 6 is a fragmentary extended view, in perspective, showing a modified connecting means for the hip engaging portions;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary extended view, in perspective, similar to FIG. 6, but showing a further modification;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective, partly sectional view showing a further modified connecting means for the hip engaging portions; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective, partly sectional view showing the hip engaging portion reinforced on the stocking.

Referring now to these drawings, as shown in FIG. 1, the two hose components 11 of the pantyhose are of great length in their leg portions 12 and a comparatively broad hip engaging portion 13. Each is provided with a button hole 15 at the center and near the upper end 14, in front and in the rear, i.e., at relative to each other. While it is preferred to have the connections in front and rear of the legs, they could also be on the sides thereof.

The hose components, for the purpose of connection, are pulled upwardly in the direction of arrows 16 above the hips, and a dual button 17 is inserted into each of the two button holes 15 of the hip engaging portions 13 that overlap throughout an area 6.

Such a button is illustrated in FIG. 4 and consists of two discs 19, connected by a cross piece 18. The upper ends '14 of the hip engaging portions 13 are superimposed when the pantyhose is worn and provide a well covering closure, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the modification of FIG. 6, there is shown an eye 21 and a hook 22, each mounted on the hip engaging portions 13 of the two stockings. In the further modification of FIG. 7, each hip engaging portion 13 has a hole 23, and the two hip engaging portions 13 may be interconnected by means of a clip 24 that engages the holes 23 in a conventional manner. In the modification of FIG. 8, there are shown attached to the two hip engaging portions 13 snap parts 25 and 26, respectively. FIG. 9 illustrates the hip engaging portion 13 reinforced as compared to the leg portion 12.

The hip engaging portion 13 preferably consists of a reinforced weave (FIG. 9) because it constitutes the pants part of the garment and simultaneously is to assume the functions of a slip or petticoat. In contradistinction, the leg parts can be of a fine weave to conform to the fashion of wearing sheer hose.

FIG. illustrates an embodiment wherein the characteristics of the pants portion, formed by the overlapping hip engaging portions 13, and its demarcation from the leg portion 12 are brought to the fore by disposing a lace 20 about the dual edge 13, in the case illustrated about their lower ends. This could extend over the entire dual edge and could also consist of rufiies or similar decorations. Moreover, the decorations may be afiixed only to certain desired parts of the dual edges.

If desired, elastic threads can be woven into the hip engaging portions 13, at their upper ends 14 or lower ends 7. It also is advantageous to form at least the area of transition between the portions 12 and portions 13 run-resistant so that runs could be caught therein, should they occur.

The garment is made of the customary materials used for hose and can be nylon, silk, cotton or any other suitable textile. The term elastic, as used herein, is to be understood to denote the properties of circular-knit textiles which are stretchable and yield elastically thereby.

I claim as my invention:

1. A combination pants and hose garment comprising two separate elastic power-knitting loom-knit hoses, each having a foot and 'leg portion and a hip engaging portion, said stockings being stretchable, whereby said hip engaging portions extend over the wearers hips and overlap each other for a part in front and rear substantially from a point near the waistline to a point near the crotch of the wearer, when stretched; and means for connecting said two hoses at said stretched overlapping hip engaging portions, said means being disposed near the upper ends of said hip engaging portions in a position substantally relative to each other, thus joining said hip engaging portions to form the pants portion of said garment.

2. The garment as defined in claim 1, wherein said means are button holes and dual buttons disposed therein.

3. The garment as defined in claim '1, wherein said 'means are hooks and eyes.

4. The garment as defined in claim 1, wherein said means are clips.

5. The garment as defined in claim 1, wherein said means are snaps.

6. The garment as defined in claim 1, wherein said hip engaging portions are of reinforced material.

7. The garment as defined in claim 1, wherein decorations are attached to said hip engaging portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 238,574 3/1881 Clyde 2-227 1,924,433 8/ 1933 Harpster 2-240 2,062,596 12/1936 Monette 2-70 2,826,760 3/1958 Rice 2-22A 3,287,739 11/ 1966 Kaplan 2-224 3,3 62,029 1/ 1968 Comerma 2240 FOREIGN PATENTS 211,245 9/ 1960 Austria.

855,082 11/ 1952 Germany.

H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2-224 

